Germany boosts Ukraine's defense with 60M Euro missile aid
Germany has announced it will provide Ukraine with IRIS-T missiles valued at 60 million euros. These missiles are a crucial component of Ukraine's air defense. Here's an overview of their features and capabilities.
Germany plans to supply Ukraine with an additional batch of IRIS-T missiles for its air defense systems. This includes at least 60 missiles, totaling 60 million euros, sourced from the German Armed Forces' stockpile. These are likely IRIS-T missiles for the IRIS-T SLS systems.
The IRIS-T SLS is one of the latest short-range systems capable of targeting stealthy cruise missiles such as the Ch-101. These missiles pose a significant challenge for Ukrainians, especially when used alongside swarms of Shahed drones that act as decoys for air defense systems.
IRIS-T SLS — Germany's economical solution against Russian missiles and drones
There are currently at least seven batteries of the IRIS-T SL air defense system in Ukraine, with tests completed as recently as 2024. The system comes in two variants: SLM and SLS. The SLM variant uses IRIS-T SL missiles, featuring a larger rocket engine, which allows targeting at distances up to 25 miles. The SLS variant is based on shorter airborne IRIS-T missiles, with a range of over 6 miles.
This approach of utilizing missiles designed for aircraft is similar to the Norwegian NASAMS system, which helps simplify logistics in the event of shortages. In such cases, the battery can be restocked from aviation inventories.
The IRIS-T missile is a collaborative development by Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Canada. It serves as the primary strike tool for the SLS system and succeeds the AIM-9 Sidewinder. It partly incorporates design elements from the Soviet Vympel R-73 missile, leveraging thrust vectoring technology.
In service with the Luftwaffe since 2005, the IRIS-T has a range of approximately 16 miles at higher altitudes, where the air is less dense. The missile is equipped with an advanced infrared optoelectronic seeker with an FPA matrix, enabling it to detect the target's thermal image, rendering it immune to countermeasures like flares.
Moreover, the missile employs sophisticated algorithms allowing for attack simulation, causing the target aircraft to expend energy before the actual engagement. At the MPSO fair, the manufacturer highlighted that the IRIS-T can withstand g-forces over 60 G and can intercept other medium-range air-to-air missiles such as the R-77 Vympel or AIM-120 AMRAAM, distinguishing it from competitors.
The IRIS-T is regarded as one of the world's top missiles, confirmed by reports from battery crews indicating a 100% success rate in intercepts.
